Promoters Unveil Card For Bare Knuckle Fighting Event In Cheyenne

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has announced the card for their upcoming event in Cheyenne. The first legally sanctioned bare-knuckle brawl in America since 1889 will be broadcast worldwide from the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center on June 2nd.

Dubbed BKBC: The Beginning, the 12 bout card will feature former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriquez, former IBF Lightweight World Champion Paul Spadafora, former WEC Middleweight Champion and UFC veteran Joe Riggs, along with pugilists from several disciplines, including Bellator, PBC, K1, and boxing.

The fights will be sanctioned by the Wyoming Combative Sports Commission. In 2012, Wyoming became the first state to create a governing board for Mixed Martial Arts events. For the commission, hosting the first bare-knuckle boxing card in nearly 130 years is an honor.

"Our commission is proud to be regulating this great event, which speaks to Wyoming's tradition of strong western Independence," Chairman Bryan Pederson said in a press release.

Before bare-knuckle boxing was banned, it was big business in Cheyenne. In the late 1860s, legendary lawman Wyatt Earp staged bouts in the Cheyenne Depot. Another local legend, Harry Hynds, started out as a bare-knuckle boxer. After he purchased the Capital Saloon, he set up a boxing ring behind the bar and would offer $100 to any patron who could beat him.

Tickets range in price from $50 for general admission to $200 for ringside seats and are on sale now. The pay-per-view event will also be broadcast on cable and streaming outlets throughout the United States and Canada.